(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a liquid crystal display (LCD) and, more particularly, to a color filter panel to be used in a transflective LCD with reflective areas and transmission areas, and a method of manufacturing the same. The method also relates to transflective LCD employing the color filter panel.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, an LCD includes a pair of panels individually having electrodes on their inner surfaces, and a dielectric anisotropy liquid crystal layer interposed between the panels. In an LCD, by varying the voltage difference between the field generating electrodes, i.e., by varying the strength of an electric field generated by the electrodes, the transmittance of the light passing through the LCD is changed, and thus obtaining the desired images.
Depending on the way light sources are used to display images, LCDs are divided into three types: transmissive, reflective, and transflective LCDs. In a transmissive LCD, an image is displayed using an internal light source, such as lamps in a backlight unit that is provided behind an LC panel assembly of the device. In a reflective LCD, an image is displayed by reflecting external natural light or external artificial light coming in from the front of the device.
The transmissive LCD is disadvantageous under very bright external conditions, i.e., when light emitted from the lamps in the transmissive LCD becomes significantly lower in brightness than the external light, so that visibility and display characteristics of the device suffer. In addition, the lamps of the backlight require significant power. Meanwhile, the reflective LCD does not fully function as a display device when the external light is insufficient. Due to the above drawbacks of these LCDs, the transflective LCD, which combines transmissive and reflective characteristics, was developed. The transflective LCD is operated in a transmissive mode under medium light conditions, such as in an indoor environment, or under complete darkness. The transflective LCD operates in a reflective mode under very bright conditions, such as in an outdoor environment.
Generally, such a transflective LCD has transmission areas and reflection areas. To display an image using the transmission areas, light emitted from the backlight behind the LC panel assembly passes through the transmission areas, while in the reflection areas, external light from the front of the device is reflected by internal reflective components back to the front of the device.
However, the transmission areas may also be supplied with both external light through the front of the LC panel assembly, and the light from the backlight. Unlike the external light supplied to the reflection areas, the external light supplied to the transmission areas passes through the transmission areas without reflection. That is, such a light does not contribute to image display as a light source. As a result, the total reflectance of the external light source lowers, resulting in the device's low outdoor visibility.